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La vie devant ses yeux
A “hauntingly original” psychological thriller about innocence, memory, and the effect of a moment of violence ( The Oprah Magazine ).
In the girls’ bathroom, Diana and her best friend, Maureen, are stealing a moment from the routine drudgery of high school when a classmate enters holding a gun. Suddenly, Diana sees her life—past, present, and acutely imagined future—dance before her eyes.
Through prose infused with the dramatically feminine sensuality of spring, readers will experience sixteen-year-old Diana’s uncertain steps into womanhood—her awkward, heated forays into sex; her fresh, fragile construction of an identity—and, in exhilarating detail, her life-not-lived as a doting mother and wife of forty. Together with the sights and sounds of renewal are the tasks of Diana’s protecting her beloved daughter and holding on to her successful husband.
This “poetic” novel encompasses both the truth of a teenager’s world and the transformations of midlife ( Vanity Fair ). Resonant and deeply stirring, The Life Before Her Eyes finds piercing beauty in the midst of a nightmare that echoes like a dirge beneath each new spring, in a story that “takes on deep matters of life and death; conscience and consciousness; family, love and friendship” ( Los Angeles Times ).
“Evokes terror and redemption, shadows and light. Kasischke treads a delicate line with the precision and confidence of a tightrope walker. She reminds us to look hard at life, to notice its beauty and cruelty, even as it flashes before us and disappears.” — The New York Times
“Mesmerizing.” — Chicago Tribune
In the girls’ bathroom, Diana and her best friend, Maureen, are stealing a moment from the routine drudgery of high school when a classmate enters holding a gun. Suddenly, Diana sees her life—past, present, and acutely imagined future—dance before her eyes.
Through prose infused with the dramatically feminine sensuality of spring, readers will experience sixteen-year-old Diana’s uncertain steps into womanhood—her awkward, heated forays into sex; her fresh, fragile construction of an identity—and, in exhilarating detail, her life-not-lived as a doting mother and wife of forty. Together with the sights and sounds of renewal are the tasks of Diana’s protecting her beloved daughter and holding on to her successful husband.
This “poetic” novel encompasses both the truth of a teenager’s world and the transformations of midlife ( Vanity Fair ). Resonant and deeply stirring, The Life Before Her Eyes finds piercing beauty in the midst of a nightmare that echoes like a dirge beneath each new spring, in a story that “takes on deep matters of life and death; conscience and consciousness; family, love and friendship” ( Los Angeles Times ).
“Evokes terror and redemption, shadows and light. Kasischke treads a delicate line with the precision and confidence of a tightrope walker. She reminds us to look hard at life, to notice its beauty and cruelty, even as it flashes before us and disappears.” — The New York Times
“Mesmerizing.” — Chicago Tribune
368 pages
First published January 1, 2002
65 people are currently reading
1885 people want to read
About the author
Laura Kasischke
45 books406 followersLaura Kasischke is an American fiction writer and American poet with poetry awards and multiple well reviewed works of fiction. Her work has received the Juniper Prize, the Alice Fay di Castagnola Award from the Poetry Society of America, the Pushcart Prize, the Elmer Holmes Bobst Award for Emerging Writers, and the Beatrice Hawley Award. She is the recipient of two fellowships from the National Endowment for the Arts, as well as several Pushcart Prizes.
Her novel The Life Before Her Eyes is the basis for the film of the same name, directed by Vadim Perelman, and starring Uma Thurman and Evan Rachel Wood. Kasischke's work is particularly well-received in France, where she is widely read in translation. Her novel A moi pour toujours (Be Mine) was published by Christian Bourgois, and was a national best seller.
Kasischke attended the University of Michigan and Columbia University. She is also currently a Professor of English Language and of the Residential College at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor, Michigan. She lives in Chelsea, Michigan, with her husband and son.
Her novel The Life Before Her Eyes is the basis for the film of the same name, directed by Vadim Perelman, and starring Uma Thurman and Evan Rachel Wood. Kasischke's work is particularly well-received in France, where she is widely read in translation. Her novel A moi pour toujours (Be Mine) was published by Christian Bourgois, and was a national best seller.
Kasischke attended the University of Michigan and Columbia University. She is also currently a Professor of English Language and of the Residential College at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor, Michigan. She lives in Chelsea, Michigan, with her husband and son.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 236 reviews
May 22, 2016
It is literally not possible to discuss this book without spoilers as the entire book revolves around the ending...or is the beginning? This author is masterful at writing the ethereal. There is a gauzy feel to this enigmatic story, in which lines are blurred and past and present are often indistinguishable. Her writing is so lovely and poetic (though the lyrical prose felt overwrought in places) but also very telling, with keen observations on middle age. There seems to be some serious debate or confusion regarding what exactly happened in this story. Ordinarily, this would be right up my alley but this one needed a bit more clarity. That's really all I can say with spoiling.
If you do choose to read this, don't read the reviews as there is one close to the top that gives it all away. Also, I would discourage audio on this because it jumps around too much and is difficult to follow. Honestly, just read Mind of Winter instead. Same author, better story. 3 stars.
If you do choose to read this, don't read the reviews as there is one close to the top that gives it all away. Also, I would discourage audio on this because it jumps around too much and is difficult to follow. Honestly, just read Mind of Winter instead. Same author, better story. 3 stars.
March 20, 2008
I can't resist writing a review of this novel. It's the kind of book I want to share with people, just so I can hear what they think of it. The concept is brilliant, and the many mysteries in the narrative completely hooked me. But I did not love the writing itself. A few nice moments, but too often the prose sounds poetic when it's actually lazy. Here is an example:
"There's April in her hair. Motion and stillness. Wings and earth. There are tears, and there is... friendship. There is velvet, and traveling, and distance, bones and blood, summer coming again as it always does, love."
Quickly read, this sounds lovely. But closely read, it is overwritten, random, and precious. Too much of this kind of writing in this novel, not to mention too many ellipses and an abuse of italics surpassed only by Rick Moody.
It isn't my intention to slam this novel. As I've said, it's absolutely riveting. I haven't read a novel in some time that has pulled me into its mystery so deeply. So many surprises; I admire that kind of narrative skill. But if the author were a close friend of mine, I would urge her to pull back on some of her descriptions and strive for as much subtlety in her prose as she so successfully uses in unfolding such a gripping narrative.
"There's April in her hair. Motion and stillness. Wings and earth. There are tears, and there is... friendship. There is velvet, and traveling, and distance, bones and blood, summer coming again as it always does, love."
Quickly read, this sounds lovely. But closely read, it is overwritten, random, and precious. Too much of this kind of writing in this novel, not to mention too many ellipses and an abuse of italics surpassed only by Rick Moody.
It isn't my intention to slam this novel. As I've said, it's absolutely riveting. I haven't read a novel in some time that has pulled me into its mystery so deeply. So many surprises; I admire that kind of narrative skill. But if the author were a close friend of mine, I would urge her to pull back on some of her descriptions and strive for as much subtlety in her prose as she so successfully uses in unfolding such a gripping narrative.
June 13, 2009
SPOILER ALERT! SPOILER ALERT! SPOILER ALERT! ***
^ don't say I didn't warn you:
SPOILER ALERT!
This book is SO FREAKING AMAZING. I'm a poet myself, and if you're a literary type, you can appreciate the beautiful language that sort of blooms in your head as you digest it, swallow its lyrical cadence like a series of pills that make you loopy with dreams.
As for those of you who don't get the ending, I don't see how you don't get it. Diana DIES. Hellloo. Most of the book is, quite literally, the "life before her eyes". The life of "adult Diana" is not actual. She is imagining what would happen IF she told Michael Patrick to kill her friend and not her, but that doesn't actually happen. While reading, the title clicked like a camera shutter in my head and I just, got it. Plus, she's in the hospital at the end? and her parents think that "maybe" she can hear them? Sometimes titles do wonders.
I loved the way the author portrayed the potential guilt weaved into the decision making that goes on simultaneously. then, at the end, Diana's "daughter" Emma disappears. She invents Emma from a cross with the name of one of the "unborn" on it that she actually saw earlier with Maureen. She invents the idea of her daughter going to the Catholic School because she actually passed that school on her way to school. Mr. McCleud gives her extra credit for going to see Paul McFee's lecture and she has a major crush on him, so she invents the idea of him being her future husband. I loved how there were so many recurring, splendid images splattered throughout the text.
I do agree, however, that the poetic prose is quite unique. I haven't read many books, even those by poets, that read quite like this. There's this one poet by the name of Richard Tillinghast who also writes essays, and most of his "prosy" work is not nearly as poetic as his, well, poetry. However, given the circumstances young Diana and her best friend Maureen find themselves in, it is perfectly appropriate. Imagined lives in our heads take on a dreamlike, surreal quality, and that is inherent in any thought process involving imagined images. I must say that the movie turns it into a horror-thriller, which I wouldn't have done. I mean, really, they show the blood and gore scenes around five or six times throughout the movie: SO not necessary. House of Sand and Fog may be a fantastic movie, but it doesn't translate well when its surreal horror is transferred to a screen adaptation of a book about a teenage girl and her hopes and wishes, no matter what may be going on on the periphery of her thinking. (I must add that I don't mean to make this a review of the movie, but its existence may impact the view others have on it and so I would just advise: PLEASE read the book before even thinking about touching the movie).
As for the reviewer who called it "young adult", I doubt that most young adults would be able to appreciate the poetic stance the writer takes. the writing is just so tremendously beautiful, but in the wrong eyes its ambition may take on a different quality. you know? anyway, I don't mean to be pretentious, but I really believe that this book is necessary to understand how the lines between poetry and prose can be blurred in a gorgeous way. At this point, it's seriously my FAVORITE. I could go on and on.
^ don't say I didn't warn you:
SPOILER ALERT!
This book is SO FREAKING AMAZING. I'm a poet myself, and if you're a literary type, you can appreciate the beautiful language that sort of blooms in your head as you digest it, swallow its lyrical cadence like a series of pills that make you loopy with dreams.
As for those of you who don't get the ending, I don't see how you don't get it. Diana DIES. Hellloo. Most of the book is, quite literally, the "life before her eyes". The life of "adult Diana" is not actual. She is imagining what would happen IF she told Michael Patrick to kill her friend and not her, but that doesn't actually happen. While reading, the title clicked like a camera shutter in my head and I just, got it. Plus, she's in the hospital at the end? and her parents think that "maybe" she can hear them? Sometimes titles do wonders.
I loved the way the author portrayed the potential guilt weaved into the decision making that goes on simultaneously. then, at the end, Diana's "daughter" Emma disappears. She invents Emma from a cross with the name of one of the "unborn" on it that she actually saw earlier with Maureen. She invents the idea of her daughter going to the Catholic School because she actually passed that school on her way to school. Mr. McCleud gives her extra credit for going to see Paul McFee's lecture and she has a major crush on him, so she invents the idea of him being her future husband. I loved how there were so many recurring, splendid images splattered throughout the text.
I do agree, however, that the poetic prose is quite unique. I haven't read many books, even those by poets, that read quite like this. There's this one poet by the name of Richard Tillinghast who also writes essays, and most of his "prosy" work is not nearly as poetic as his, well, poetry. However, given the circumstances young Diana and her best friend Maureen find themselves in, it is perfectly appropriate. Imagined lives in our heads take on a dreamlike, surreal quality, and that is inherent in any thought process involving imagined images. I must say that the movie turns it into a horror-thriller, which I wouldn't have done. I mean, really, they show the blood and gore scenes around five or six times throughout the movie: SO not necessary. House of Sand and Fog may be a fantastic movie, but it doesn't translate well when its surreal horror is transferred to a screen adaptation of a book about a teenage girl and her hopes and wishes, no matter what may be going on on the periphery of her thinking. (I must add that I don't mean to make this a review of the movie, but its existence may impact the view others have on it and so I would just advise: PLEASE read the book before even thinking about touching the movie).
As for the reviewer who called it "young adult", I doubt that most young adults would be able to appreciate the poetic stance the writer takes. the writing is just so tremendously beautiful, but in the wrong eyes its ambition may take on a different quality. you know? anyway, I don't mean to be pretentious, but I really believe that this book is necessary to understand how the lines between poetry and prose can be blurred in a gorgeous way. At this point, it's seriously my FAVORITE. I could go on and on.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 25, 2010
Laura Kasischke's The Life Before Her Eyes is quite a remarkable book. I picked it up well over a year ago on the recommendation of an independent bookstore owner, and read the prologue when I got home, knowing I was in the middle of a couple of other books at the time, but still wanting to get a taste of the book. After finishing the prologue, I felt that I had had a satisfying reading experience on just those 10 pages alone, and couldn't wait to get to reading the rest as soon as I could. That was October, 2008. The book has been sitting on my shelf, unread, ever since I'm ashamed to say. This week, Laura Kasischke was doing a reading and signing at my local bookstore, so I was determined to read through this book this week, and I'm just sorry that it has taken me so long to finally get around to reading such an amazing story.
Diana and Maureen are best friends in high school. They do everything together, go everywhere together, are rarely separated. Their bright futures are still stretched out before them with all the potential that is available, until they are forced to make a decision that will alter that future forever: Which one of them is to die?
We skip ahead to forty-something Diana and her life now, her husband, her daughter, her happy existence. However, something seems to be wrong. It almost seems like her life is unraveling at the seams all around her. She is seeing things that aren't necessarily there or shouldn't be there, she is having moods swings, she is having unexplainable flashbacks to her younger days. What does all of this mean for Diana and what does it have to do with her younger self.
Kasischke's writing is so ethereal and atmospheric, it reads like a dream. We alternate between younger Diana and older Diana with a revolving narrative that has slight reflections from younger Diana onto older Diana's story. When the narrative is following Diana and Maureen, there is no real distinction between which girl is which, which seems fitting since they spend so much time together and are so connected, that there really is almost no distinction between them. As I progressed through the story and more became clear to me about what was happening for sure, I couldn't put the book down. I had a feeling I understood from the beginning what was happening but wasn't sure I quite had it, but when everything started to fall into place, the true power of the entire book was becoming clear to me. I know this is all very enigmatic, but I don't want to give anything away; the power of the story is in its unraveling. A truly powerful and amazing story that is beautifully written and not quite like anything that I have read before.
October 1, 2008
This book was largely unremarkable, which is a shame because the description and reviews I read made it sound really intriguing. Essentially, a 40-year-old woman is living a "perfect" life (and believe me, the author takes great pains to convince you how perfect her life is), and at the same time, reliving (through flashbacks) her experience of a school shooting which took place twenty-some years earlier. No, correct that--the majority of the flashbacks are of her teenage life leading up to the school shooting where she made her "life altering decision," and the present day accounts show how the decision affected her life. Sounds interesting, right?
My biggest problem with this book is that the author just seems to have been too ambitious. The flowery, poetic style is just overbearing, for one. But mostly, the story with it's big fat super-secret twist at the end is just too intense. (And I really don't think I am spoiling anything by mentioning the spoiler, since the author starts hinting at it before even the midpoint of the story. Not in a foreshadowing way, but more like a little kid who can't keep a secret.)
Less than twelve hours after reading it, I find I can't recall many details leading up to the ending, only that it just starts to unravel at the end. I know it's supposed to be allegorical, but instead it just feels...silly. Frankly, the writing/style/plot are just not good enough to support it.
My biggest problem with this book is that the author just seems to have been too ambitious. The flowery, poetic style is just overbearing, for one. But mostly, the story with it's big fat super-secret twist at the end is just too intense. (And I really don't think I am spoiling anything by mentioning the spoiler, since the author starts hinting at it before even the midpoint of the story. Not in a foreshadowing way, but more like a little kid who can't keep a secret.)
Less than twelve hours after reading it, I find I can't recall many details leading up to the ending, only that it just starts to unravel at the end. I know it's supposed to be allegorical, but instead it just feels...silly. Frankly, the writing/style/plot are just not good enough to support it.
June 12, 2014
This book is absolutely brilliant, yet the vast majority of readers don't seem to understand what they've read. The girl is dead! She died back in high school! It is an imagining of what she thought her life would have been like had she lived. She borrows people and situations that she saw in her short life to create a perfect life... and the book bounces back and forth between her teen years and imagined life, outlining those details. It is not a book about "the regrets of middle age" as one reviewer wrote. The complete and utter misunderstanding of the plot is so totally bizarre. The girl never reaches middle age...she imagines it. The end of the book is her funeral.
Laura Kasischke's gift is the complexity of the human mind.
Laura Kasischke's gift is the complexity of the human mind.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 12, 2008
This is quite a lovely and disturbing book. I picked it up because I heard they are making a movie of it and it sounded interesting. It's about a girl who lives through a school shooting as a teenager, but her best friend dies, and the implications of that on her life as an adult with a child of her own. The book alternates between flashbacks of her life as a teenager and scenes from her current life. The flashbacks seem very grounded and realistic, while the present-day scenes seem much more dream-like. By the end, I wasn't sure what events in her present life had actually happened and which were just the crazy talking, so to speak. And I think that's the intent. The language is beautiful - Kasischke is a poet, and I mean that literally; she's published several books of poetry in addition to another novel or two. My biggest frustration was that the mystery isn't resolved in the end - there is some indication near the end that another character hates her and has done at least one thing to make her think she's crazy, but no reason of why is given. And to be honest, I'm not sure if that scene actually happened or if it was a figment of the main character's imagination. That's probably what the author intended, but it annoyed me; I like my mysteries with solutions, thank you :) But overall, I enjoyed the book and would recommend it - it's a quick read, not a huge time committment, but well worth it.
February 19, 2008
This book made me want to be a high school English teacher so that I could discuss it with teenagers. It struck me as being an excellent book to use to discuss the author's choices (past tense vs. present tense, pronouns vs. names); the choices are deliberate and add to our sense of what's going on. The choices are also very obvious, so it would be easy for young adult readers to pick up on these choices. Aside from a few swear words and one scene of implied sex, it thus works extremely well as a YA novel. It would also be interesting to discuss with teenagers the perspective that 40-year old Diana has on the teenage girls she sees.
The author (a poet) has a beautiful, lyrical writing style. It will be interesting to see how successful the movie adaptation is. I can imagine that the story itself would make a fairly interesting movie, but the heart of the story is conveyed not in action, but in either Diana's internal thought process or in a few sentences the author gives us which deepen our understanding but which would be difficult to translate to film.
The author (a poet) has a beautiful, lyrical writing style. It will be interesting to see how successful the movie adaptation is. I can imagine that the story itself would make a fairly interesting movie, but the heart of the story is conveyed not in action, but in either Diana's internal thought process or in a few sentences the author gives us which deepen our understanding but which would be difficult to translate to film.
July 26, 2009
I really wish I could give this book more stars but I can't pull myself to do so. The novel was a great read and what made it great was the poetic writing. Laura is a poet and it really shows through her writing. She makes great analogies and beautiful descriptions where even the most mundane things seem alluring.
I found the twist in the end to be a little predictable halfway through the novel when things started getting a little strange. However, I liked how Laura intertwined these small details into the novel where at the end, it all comes together.
Nonetheless, despite the witty weaving and the beautiful writing by the end of the novel everything that was read didn't seem worthwhile. It's like Laura had a great idea to begin with and then lost her way through the story and then wrapped it up with an ambiguous ending.
Overall, I thought the novel was worthwhile and it's redeeming quality was the writing. If you like poetic writing, stories that make you think and ambiguous endings, you will enjoy this novel.
I found the twist in the end to be a little predictable halfway through the novel when things started getting a little strange. However, I liked how Laura intertwined these small details into the novel where at the end, it all comes together.
Nonetheless, despite the witty weaving and the beautiful writing by the end of the novel everything that was read didn't seem worthwhile. It's like Laura had a great idea to begin with and then lost her way through the story and then wrapped it up with an ambiguous ending.
Overall, I thought the novel was worthwhile and it's redeeming quality was the writing. If you like poetic writing, stories that make you think and ambiguous endings, you will enjoy this novel.
April 7, 2008
An interesting premise. However, when I finished the book, I sat back and thought "what just happened?" Some of the foreshadowing is a little clunky, and I could reasonably guess what was going to happen next. The story just didn't seem to add up at the end and I probably would not recommend this book to my friends.
September 8, 2010
My father asked me to take a look at this after he watched the movie based on it. He didn't fully understand what happened, and I can't exactly say I do either, but it was a compelling and interesting read. I suppose I'd simply sum it up as a case of "what if?" considering the last line before the epilogue: Two raindrops fall on Diana's arms, one hits "a place she could have named on a quiz but which now seems to be the place where the future is imagined, the place where what would have been is." Part of me thinks that Diana never really did make it to adulthood; the girls going to Professor McFee's lecture where one writes down the quote he uses earlier in the book leads me there, suggesting that if she'd lived she'd have married him and been congratulating him on presenting the award. But alas, she was just a kid in the audience. Then again, the descriptions of the time periods don't really hold up. Guess I'll have to see the movie for more research?!
October 7, 2009
I really enjoyed this book at the sentence level--the language is crystalline, familiar, and beautifully constructed. Unfortunately, the story is ploddingly-paced, with the bulk of the text made up of the heroine ruminating over the details of her utterly perfect college-town life. Only the tease of an opener and rather surreal ending bring any real excitement. Kasischke is clearly a gifted writer, but this book felt unbalanced--too much interiority, not enough action. I look forward to a novel in which she pairs her well-crafted words with a more dynamic plot.
January 6, 2022
Another incredible book that I grabbed because the movie was coming out. As a mother, I thought this book would be hard to read, dealing with issues that I didn't want to think too much about (a school shooting just before graduation).
But, this book has twists and turns and takes you down so many roads. It's a great read and keeps you guessing. The end was just great.
But, this book has twists and turns and takes you down so many roads. It's a great read and keeps you guessing. The end was just great.
November 28, 2022
Le prologue était excellent, je pensais avoir déniché une pépite.
Jusqu’à ce que je poursuive et m’ennuie jusqu’à la toute fin. C’est long, c’est plate…
Et si c’était juste ça…. Je me forçais à le poursuivre pour arriver à la fin, car il y avait quand même un petit côté intriguant.
Et vous savez quoi? J’AI RIEN COMPRIS DE LA FIN 😡😡😡
Jusqu’à ce que je poursuive et m’ennuie jusqu’à la toute fin. C’est long, c’est plate…
Et si c’était juste ça…. Je me forçais à le poursuivre pour arriver à la fin, car il y avait quand même un petit côté intriguant.
Et vous savez quoi? J’AI RIEN COMPRIS DE LA FIN 😡😡😡
July 15, 2008
The Life Before Her Eyes by Laura Kasischke is a novel about survivor's guilt. The main character, Diana, is a 40 year old woman, who survived a Columbine/Virginia Tech like shooting while in high school. Not only did she survive, but she was asked by the gunman if he should kill her or her friend, and she responded to kill her friend (not giving anything away, it happens in the first 5 pages). Diana’s life in the not too distant future appears perfect. She is a wife, mother, and lives in a house with a white picket fence. She drives a min-van and goes to soccer practice. All is well. However under the surface, Diana is a tortured soul who is tormented by her decision.
The novel travels back and forth between Diana’s life, and the last summer between Diana and her friend Maureen. Diana’s story spans only a week or two, versus Diana and Maureen’s time is about 9 months worth of storyline. As the girls’ story gets closer and closer to the shooting, Diana’s life grows more and more turbulent.
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** Nice medium length chapters. Where they were long, they had frequent breaks. – Plus 2
** I have my suspicions about how the book ends, but I’m not entirely sure. I’ll have to go back and review it to really be sure I knew what happened, as I rushed through the final 20 pages in an effort to finish it on my lunch break. Although more than likely, I’ll just have to assume that I knew what happened. While I like concluding things about a book, I’m always frustrated when I’m not quite sure what happened at the end. – Minus 3
** I still can't remember the name of the book entirely. I keep having to look it up. Not good marketing if you can't get the readers to remember the simplest thing as a title. - Minus 2
** I've read quite a few books as of late that switched back and forth between two time periods. Some of them did it well. Some of them weren't so hot. This one falls into the not so hot category. - Minus 3
** While completely unrelated to the book, there was a movie made based on it. A couple of weeks ago I started to watch the Love in the Time of Cholera movie, and turned it off after 5 minutes because I hated the book so much. While I didn't love the book all that much, I think I'll make it through the movie. - Plus 3
** What could have been a really heartbreaking novel about survivor's guilt. It's completely frustrating that it could have been a great novel. One that changed your life, and then it ended up having a lame twist, and totally ruined it's potential. - Minus 4
** Black cats are fun. - Plus 1
**The book was too short. The topic is complex. And far too much of it was glossed over in a couple sentences. We get three or four pages describing adult Diana being a peeping tom to the kids in the pool next door. And only a page or two of the actual shooting. Seriously?? - Minus 4
** I have to give points for having a main character that's favorite ice cream is vanilla. Being a big vanilla fan, I like it when it's the star instead of chocolate. - Plus 2
Final Tally ... negative 8. I would have liked this book more if it took the topic seriously. The first 60 or so pages it did, and then it turned a corner. It's frustrating to have expectations that a novel will approach something difficult and then toss it aside cheaply. It would have been much much better to have a story about a woman surviving the guilt rather than a nasty twist at the end. Cheap shot.
The novel travels back and forth between Diana’s life, and the last summer between Diana and her friend Maureen. Diana’s story spans only a week or two, versus Diana and Maureen’s time is about 9 months worth of storyline. As the girls’ story gets closer and closer to the shooting, Diana’s life grows more and more turbulent.
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** Nice medium length chapters. Where they were long, they had frequent breaks. – Plus 2
** I have my suspicions about how the book ends, but I’m not entirely sure. I’ll have to go back and review it to really be sure I knew what happened, as I rushed through the final 20 pages in an effort to finish it on my lunch break. Although more than likely, I’ll just have to assume that I knew what happened. While I like concluding things about a book, I’m always frustrated when I’m not quite sure what happened at the end. – Minus 3
** I still can't remember the name of the book entirely. I keep having to look it up. Not good marketing if you can't get the readers to remember the simplest thing as a title. - Minus 2
** I've read quite a few books as of late that switched back and forth between two time periods. Some of them did it well. Some of them weren't so hot. This one falls into the not so hot category. - Minus 3
** While completely unrelated to the book, there was a movie made based on it. A couple of weeks ago I started to watch the Love in the Time of Cholera movie, and turned it off after 5 minutes because I hated the book so much. While I didn't love the book all that much, I think I'll make it through the movie. - Plus 3
** What could have been a really heartbreaking novel about survivor's guilt. It's completely frustrating that it could have been a great novel. One that changed your life, and then it ended up having a lame twist, and totally ruined it's potential. - Minus 4
** Black cats are fun. - Plus 1
**The book was too short. The topic is complex. And far too much of it was glossed over in a couple sentences. We get three or four pages describing adult Diana being a peeping tom to the kids in the pool next door. And only a page or two of the actual shooting. Seriously?? - Minus 4
** I have to give points for having a main character that's favorite ice cream is vanilla. Being a big vanilla fan, I like it when it's the star instead of chocolate. - Plus 2
Final Tally ... negative 8. I would have liked this book more if it took the topic seriously. The first 60 or so pages it did, and then it turned a corner. It's frustrating to have expectations that a novel will approach something difficult and then toss it aside cheaply. It would have been much much better to have a story about a woman surviving the guilt rather than a nasty twist at the end. Cheap shot.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 8, 2008
I don't know what to make of this book. The author is a poet and you can definitely tell in the way she uses words and description. Sometimes it's overpowering, but other times, the flowery prose really fits.
What I got from this book is that it's about a woman, Diana, who as a teenager lived a very selfish life and now in middle age, she's going crazy with guilt over it. There book is told in sections. A present section here mingled with a past section there. In the past section, names are never used. Diana is only described as "the girl" and her friend as "the girl." You'll be reading and it'll go something like this: "One of the girls said this. The other one did this." And you have to figure out who it is. It's an interesting way to get some details about the characters, but it took me awhile to get used to.
And then the end. Whoa.
There are also many scenes in the book with Diana driving in her car like a crazy person. I don't know what happened when reading this book, but I felt like the crazy started to rub off on me. I had so many crazy episodes while I was driving that it got kind of scary. I'm done with the book so hopefully I don't have any more weird driving experiences like Diana.
Uma Thurman is starring in the big-screen adaptation.
What I got from this book is that it's about a woman, Diana, who as a teenager lived a very selfish life and now in middle age, she's going crazy with guilt over it. There book is told in sections. A present section here mingled with a past section there. In the past section, names are never used. Diana is only described as "the girl" and her friend as "the girl." You'll be reading and it'll go something like this: "One of the girls said this. The other one did this." And you have to figure out who it is. It's an interesting way to get some details about the characters, but it took me awhile to get used to.
And then the end. Whoa.
There are also many scenes in the book with Diana driving in her car like a crazy person. I don't know what happened when reading this book, but I felt like the crazy started to rub off on me. I had so many crazy episodes while I was driving that it got kind of scary. I'm done with the book so hopefully I don't have any more weird driving experiences like Diana.
Uma Thurman is starring in the big-screen adaptation.
April 12, 2011
This book tugged at my heart strings. It is a story about two young girls who face a tragedy together. I don't want to give it away, but the whole story is a back and forth about one of the girls grown up and living her life in guilt. I loved this book because the writing style is so intense yet subtle, it drew so much emotion out of me. It is about the true nature of friendship and how far it is stretched at the ultimate test.
June 2, 2018
If you read the first chapter and then the last, you're good.
May 13, 2018
I'm not one to read books where it's not a sequence of events that seem to lead somewhere. I don't typically like the "coming of age" novels where events just happen and there's no basic plot. I think that's why it took so long to really get into this book, let alone finish it. The second half of the book really picked up for me, though. The language is beautiful, and the ending was chilling. Reading a novel, written by a poet, was refreshing and I'm glad I made myself finish the book because the story was actually quite good.
September 25, 2014
Inizio folgorante: due belle adolescenti, una mora e una bruna, si spazzolano nei bagni di una scuola in una cittadina qualunque del Midwest. Uno di quei luoghi in cui l’inverno dura parecchio, le famiglie bene hanno case immacolate con giardini ombrosi e piscina, e gli adolescenti, che siano agiati o meno, hanno tatuaggi e piercing, fumano marijuana e non desiderano altro che lasciar quella cittadina monotona per sempre.
Il ciarlare delle ragazze in bagno viene bruscamente interrotto dall’irruzione di un loro compagno di classe, una nullità di cui mai nessuno ha percepito la presenza né l’assenza. Quella nullità sogghigna con una pistola in pugno. «Chi devo ammazzare di voi due?»
Maureen, la mora, quella che va in chiesa, pronuncia un «Se devi uccidere una di noi due, uccidi me».
Diana, la bionda, quella che non crede in nulla, ci riflette per un po’, i cerchietti che ha al polso iniziano a tintinnare, poi si chiede perché non dovrebbe scegliere la vita. «Non uccidermi. Uccidi lei. Non me».
Fine del prologo. Il romanzo è tutto un flashback tra la vita della Diana, ribelle adolescente, e la vita della Diana adulta, elegante quarantenne, immersa in un mondo quasi perfetto: è diventata una mamma invidiata per il fisico ancora da modella, un marito attraente, docente affermato, e una figlia graziosa. “Il mondo era davvero rotondo. Tondo e liscio come la boccia dei pesci. E i pensieri ci nuotavano dentro”. In questa perfezione iniziano ad esserci segnali di squilibrio: il lettore si confonde. Qual è il confine tra la vita vera e l’immaginazione? E tutto ciò che era ovvio nelle pagine precedenti cambia volto. La penna poetica della Kasischke ti ha tratto in inganno e solo negli ultimi capitoli esci dalla bolla di sapone e intuisci cosa sia realmente accaduto.
Disseminati nel romanzo si trovano elementi che la Kasischke infila anche nell’appena pubblicato Un animo d’inverno. Il rapporto morboso tra madre e figlia, il gusto ferroso della carne cruda, gli screzi con i vicini per faccende che riguardano le abitudini del cane/gatto della protagonista, le fiabe e Raperonzolo dalle lunghe chiome d’oro.
In entrambi i romanzi, il tema della morte è centrale. Il perché è evidente nelle parole della stessa Kasischke in un’intervista di qualche anno fa:
Penso di aver associato, fin dall’inizio, la letteratura a “grandi temi”: quando ero giovane, ero così affascinata dalla tragedia greca, da non essere attratta dai romanzi o dalla poesia per semplice divertimento, ma molto più per una forma di catarsi. La condizione umana mi sembra, anche nei momenti migliori, davvero precaria, e il mondo, pur nella sua bellezza, mi sembra oscurato da ombre di morte e pericolo.
Suppongo di avere una consapevolezza più acuta di questa sensazione, quando la esploro attraverso la scrittura.
In La vita davanti ai suoi occhi non c’è la stessa tensione che accompagna il lettore fino all’ultima pagina di Un animo d’inverno, però ci sono più spunti di riflessione. Inevitabilmente ci si ritrova a pensare alle curiose coincidenze della vita, a chi eravamo a 16 anni e a chi siamo diventati. Ma si medita anche su cosa sarebbe accaduto se… Quanti SE ci portiamo dentro.
Note: dal libro è stato tratto un film, che non mi sembra abbia riscosso un gran successo. Ma, non avendolo visto, non posso giudicare.
http://librinvaligia.blogspot.it/2014...
Il ciarlare delle ragazze in bagno viene bruscamente interrotto dall’irruzione di un loro compagno di classe, una nullità di cui mai nessuno ha percepito la presenza né l’assenza. Quella nullità sogghigna con una pistola in pugno. «Chi devo ammazzare di voi due?»
Maureen, la mora, quella che va in chiesa, pronuncia un «Se devi uccidere una di noi due, uccidi me».
Diana, la bionda, quella che non crede in nulla, ci riflette per un po’, i cerchietti che ha al polso iniziano a tintinnare, poi si chiede perché non dovrebbe scegliere la vita. «Non uccidermi. Uccidi lei. Non me».
Fine del prologo. Il romanzo è tutto un flashback tra la vita della Diana, ribelle adolescente, e la vita della Diana adulta, elegante quarantenne, immersa in un mondo quasi perfetto: è diventata una mamma invidiata per il fisico ancora da modella, un marito attraente, docente affermato, e una figlia graziosa. “Il mondo era davvero rotondo. Tondo e liscio come la boccia dei pesci. E i pensieri ci nuotavano dentro”. In questa perfezione iniziano ad esserci segnali di squilibrio: il lettore si confonde. Qual è il confine tra la vita vera e l’immaginazione? E tutto ciò che era ovvio nelle pagine precedenti cambia volto. La penna poetica della Kasischke ti ha tratto in inganno e solo negli ultimi capitoli esci dalla bolla di sapone e intuisci cosa sia realmente accaduto.
Disseminati nel romanzo si trovano elementi che la Kasischke infila anche nell’appena pubblicato Un animo d’inverno. Il rapporto morboso tra madre e figlia, il gusto ferroso della carne cruda, gli screzi con i vicini per faccende che riguardano le abitudini del cane/gatto della protagonista, le fiabe e Raperonzolo dalle lunghe chiome d’oro.
In entrambi i romanzi, il tema della morte è centrale. Il perché è evidente nelle parole della stessa Kasischke in un’intervista di qualche anno fa:
Penso di aver associato, fin dall’inizio, la letteratura a “grandi temi”: quando ero giovane, ero così affascinata dalla tragedia greca, da non essere attratta dai romanzi o dalla poesia per semplice divertimento, ma molto più per una forma di catarsi. La condizione umana mi sembra, anche nei momenti migliori, davvero precaria, e il mondo, pur nella sua bellezza, mi sembra oscurato da ombre di morte e pericolo.
Suppongo di avere una consapevolezza più acuta di questa sensazione, quando la esploro attraverso la scrittura.
In La vita davanti ai suoi occhi non c’è la stessa tensione che accompagna il lettore fino all’ultima pagina di Un animo d’inverno, però ci sono più spunti di riflessione. Inevitabilmente ci si ritrova a pensare alle curiose coincidenze della vita, a chi eravamo a 16 anni e a chi siamo diventati. Ma si medita anche su cosa sarebbe accaduto se… Quanti SE ci portiamo dentro.
Note: dal libro è stato tratto un film, che non mi sembra abbia riscosso un gran successo. Ma, non avendolo visto, non posso giudicare.
http://librinvaligia.blogspot.it/2014...
April 6, 2011
“The Life Before Her Eyes”
By Laura Kasischke
Harvest Books, 2002, New York.
“The Life Before Her Eyes” by Laura Kasischke was the third novel she published. If one were to read the synopsis of this book they would be under the impression that this book is solemnly focused on a school shooting that takes place. Unable to decide whether it benefits the book taking a different approach, the novel becomes quite captivating.
The novel begins with Diana and Maureen, two best friends. These two are completely opposite in character, Diana being the wild child and Maureen the conservative Christian. They both decided to go to the restroom before going to class. While they are pampering themselves, they begin to hear screams and gunfire outside in the hallways. At first, they aren’t convinced it’s real, until they find themselves face to face with the shooter. Michael Patrick, the shooter, who isn’t mentioned any more in the book until the very end, told Diana the previous day that he was bringing a gun to school and killing everyone, but again Diana wasn’t convinced he was serious.
While both of the girls are facing the shooter, only seeing their reflection in the mirrors, they are faced with a life-altering decision when Michael asks both of them which one should he kill. While both of them plead for him not to kill either of them, the suspense starts to build when Maureen says “if you’re going to kill one of us, kill me.” The shooter then looks to Diana and says “What do you have to say?” She doesn’t respond until he puts the gun to her temple, and she says “kill her, not me.”
After reading the prologue it was to my surprise that the author didn’t continue on with the shooting for the rest of the novel. Instead, we are brought into Diana’s middle-aged life with reoccurring flashbacks from her past. The author takes us on a journey of how Diana used to be this wild child growing up and her friendship with Maureen. We also see her present day life with her daughter and her husband, which seems to be perfect until that dreadful day starts affecting everything around her.
The novel becomes a bit confusing with all of the flashbacks and reality. It starts to become hard to tell what is real and what is fantasy. With that being said, it seems that what happens with Diana is left for interpretation.
The novel ends with a sudden rush of action between the shooting that took place and Diana trying to save her daughter Emma in the present day. Based on the last few pages the twist becomes that Michael does shoot Maureen but also shoots Diana, but she survives. It becomes a bit hazy after that, as some people believe that Diana’s “perfect” life is what she imagined in the minutes before she is shot. In other ways it can be interpreted that she did went on to live this life, only to be haunted by survivors guilt, because she is the only one that knew what really happened that day.
By Laura Kasischke
Harvest Books, 2002, New York.
“The Life Before Her Eyes” by Laura Kasischke was the third novel she published. If one were to read the synopsis of this book they would be under the impression that this book is solemnly focused on a school shooting that takes place. Unable to decide whether it benefits the book taking a different approach, the novel becomes quite captivating.
The novel begins with Diana and Maureen, two best friends. These two are completely opposite in character, Diana being the wild child and Maureen the conservative Christian. They both decided to go to the restroom before going to class. While they are pampering themselves, they begin to hear screams and gunfire outside in the hallways. At first, they aren’t convinced it’s real, until they find themselves face to face with the shooter. Michael Patrick, the shooter, who isn’t mentioned any more in the book until the very end, told Diana the previous day that he was bringing a gun to school and killing everyone, but again Diana wasn’t convinced he was serious.
While both of the girls are facing the shooter, only seeing their reflection in the mirrors, they are faced with a life-altering decision when Michael asks both of them which one should he kill. While both of them plead for him not to kill either of them, the suspense starts to build when Maureen says “if you’re going to kill one of us, kill me.” The shooter then looks to Diana and says “What do you have to say?” She doesn’t respond until he puts the gun to her temple, and she says “kill her, not me.”
After reading the prologue it was to my surprise that the author didn’t continue on with the shooting for the rest of the novel. Instead, we are brought into Diana’s middle-aged life with reoccurring flashbacks from her past. The author takes us on a journey of how Diana used to be this wild child growing up and her friendship with Maureen. We also see her present day life with her daughter and her husband, which seems to be perfect until that dreadful day starts affecting everything around her.
The novel becomes a bit confusing with all of the flashbacks and reality. It starts to become hard to tell what is real and what is fantasy. With that being said, it seems that what happens with Diana is left for interpretation.
The novel ends with a sudden rush of action between the shooting that took place and Diana trying to save her daughter Emma in the present day. Based on the last few pages the twist becomes that Michael does shoot Maureen but also shoots Diana, but she survives. It becomes a bit hazy after that, as some people believe that Diana’s “perfect” life is what she imagined in the minutes before she is shot. In other ways it can be interpreted that she did went on to live this life, only to be haunted by survivors guilt, because she is the only one that knew what really happened that day.
March 19, 2014
This book reads like a very long poem. It's not so much a story with a conflict and a plot. In fact, the conflict happens in the very beginning, and the rest of the book is trying to puzzle the pieces together.
That said, I spent most of the book a bit confused. I spent most of it trying to figure out how the story fit in with the prologue - which is repeated at the end, where everything comes together. Honestly, I still don't completely understand it though. So I was a tad bit frustrated by that.
However, I think that's the point of the story; it's vague and open to interpretation. Again, making it a lot like a poem.
The writing style was okay. It was almost overly-poetic, at times making Diana sound sappy and even like a disorganized schizophrenic at times. I think it tried a little too hard to be surreal, or something like that.
The main story-line of it was slightly boring to me. The hum-drum of being a work-at-home mom was boring to me, but there were interesting parts thrown in that were slightly Edgar Allan Poe/Twilight Zone - esque. Those parts were interesting, and added to the over-all mystery of not completely understanding what is going on.
Also, the book was written with back and forth passages between the main character, Diana, as a grown woman, and when she and her best friend were teenagers. The teenage timed parts never actually say which girl is doing what, so you're forced to try and puzzle that together; figure out which girl is Diana, and which is her best friend.
Overall, it was an entertaining read, but I was really just waiting for the end to figure out how it all pieced together. The ending wasn't super clear to me; I'm about 95% sure I know what happened, but the book is just so overly poetic, that it is a tiny bit difficult to tell. I still have some doubt in my mind. But whatever.
It was still an enjoyable read, due to the mystery of it, but most of the book was just so-so. Still liked it though.
That said, I spent most of the book a bit confused. I spent most of it trying to figure out how the story fit in with the prologue - which is repeated at the end, where everything comes together. Honestly, I still don't completely understand it though. So I was a tad bit frustrated by that.
However, I think that's the point of the story; it's vague and open to interpretation. Again, making it a lot like a poem.
The writing style was okay. It was almost overly-poetic, at times making Diana sound sappy and even like a disorganized schizophrenic at times. I think it tried a little too hard to be surreal, or something like that.
The main story-line of it was slightly boring to me. The hum-drum of being a work-at-home mom was boring to me, but there were interesting parts thrown in that were slightly Edgar Allan Poe/Twilight Zone - esque. Those parts were interesting, and added to the over-all mystery of not completely understanding what is going on.
Also, the book was written with back and forth passages between the main character, Diana, as a grown woman, and when she and her best friend were teenagers. The teenage timed parts never actually say which girl is doing what, so you're forced to try and puzzle that together; figure out which girl is Diana, and which is her best friend.
Overall, it was an entertaining read, but I was really just waiting for the end to figure out how it all pieced together. The ending wasn't super clear to me; I'm about 95% sure I know what happened, but the book is just so overly poetic, that it is a tiny bit difficult to tell. I still have some doubt in my mind. But whatever.
It was still an enjoyable read, due to the mystery of it, but most of the book was just so-so. Still liked it though.
September 2, 2015
Laura Kasischke has written what I consider could be a promising book. The plot is interesting and her characters are fairly realistic. So why is my review so tepid and tenuous? When penning a manuscript, it is not always necessary to be flowery and lengthy in descriptions. At the outset I discovered her tendency to do so, with numerous metaphorical expressions, which often clouded her intent.
“Such a mundane surprise to be alive! A forty-year old woman in the middle of June, looking straight into a very blue sky, a sky that looked like the center of something entirely fresh that had been neatly sliced in half with a sharp knife. A mind full of ether. … (p.13)
The story begins with an horrifying event when a young teen tears through his high school, armed with guns, shooting indiscriminately. He comes upon two young girls in the lavatory, where he cruelly demands that they choose which one he should shoot. The narrative then alternates between the present, when one girl is 40 years old and back to the typical “best friend teen years”. It was often confusing with frequent deviations of time periods and in many instances, the characters' names were not identified . Also the author often alternated between fantasy and reality. It was , at times, difficult to determine where Kasischke was going with this. Occasionally it was unclear to me whether the people supposedly involved at a certain point were actually present.
I will not introduce a “spoiler” here, but I will state that the conclusion of this novel was totally subject to many interpretations. It would be interesting to hear the opinions of others. Perhaps this is what the author intended...
I still waver between 3 and 4 stars.
“Such a mundane surprise to be alive! A forty-year old woman in the middle of June, looking straight into a very blue sky, a sky that looked like the center of something entirely fresh that had been neatly sliced in half with a sharp knife. A mind full of ether. … (p.13)
The story begins with an horrifying event when a young teen tears through his high school, armed with guns, shooting indiscriminately. He comes upon two young girls in the lavatory, where he cruelly demands that they choose which one he should shoot. The narrative then alternates between the present, when one girl is 40 years old and back to the typical “best friend teen years”. It was often confusing with frequent deviations of time periods and in many instances, the characters' names were not identified . Also the author often alternated between fantasy and reality. It was , at times, difficult to determine where Kasischke was going with this. Occasionally it was unclear to me whether the people supposedly involved at a certain point were actually present.
I will not introduce a “spoiler” here, but I will state that the conclusion of this novel was totally subject to many interpretations. It would be interesting to hear the opinions of others. Perhaps this is what the author intended...
I still waver between 3 and 4 stars.
October 2, 2014
I think this book had ambitious goals and it comes across as something that tried too hard and had no clear idea of what it wanted to be.
Yes the writing is poetic, but it's also rambling and at times juvenile and seems to go off into prose instead of carrying the plot and it became less and less appealing as the story went on. The story its self was also full of holes and frustrations. The third party narrative felt detached and unhelpful. Instead of feeling anything that Diana feels we're instead watching this woman talk about her life via an unknown narrator that tells us how she feels and what she's thinking in a way that made everything drag.
Yes the writing is poetic, but it's also rambling and at times juvenile and seems to go off into prose instead of carrying the plot and it became less and less appealing as the story went on. The story its self was also full of holes and frustrations. The third party narrative felt detached and unhelpful. Instead of feeling anything that Diana feels we're instead watching this woman talk about her life via an unknown narrator that tells us how she feels and what she's thinking in a way that made everything drag.
November 3, 2009
"Conscience is the voice of God in the nature and heart of man..."
I found this to be a very difficult book to grasp and even harder to digest. While I appreciated the brilliance behind the plot - with the idea of a wild and immature young girl in a life-threatening situation having her future as she believed it would have played out as an adult and mother flash before her eyes - I didn't quite understand why, exactly, some events played out the way they did. It made me want to question the character's mental capacity or intoxication levels. This is at no fault of the author. I'm probably missing something.
The Life Before Her Eyes is not for a young adult audience, and even adult readers might find it difficult to navigate or digest. Still, I believe something can be learned from every book you read. I did find some of the recurring themes to be engaging and certainly worth kicking around in my mind: life's fleeting mortality and how awareness of it grows with age; the differences and simlarities between reality and perception; and the author's talented ability to take even the most mundane of life's commonplace things and breathe life into it with vividness and meaning.
I found this to be a very difficult book to grasp and even harder to digest. While I appreciated the brilliance behind the plot - with the idea of a wild and immature young girl in a life-threatening situation having her future as she believed it would have played out as an adult and mother flash before her eyes - I didn't quite understand why, exactly, some events played out the way they did. It made me want to question the character's mental capacity or intoxication levels. This is at no fault of the author. I'm probably missing something.
The Life Before Her Eyes is not for a young adult audience, and even adult readers might find it difficult to navigate or digest. Still, I believe something can be learned from every book you read. I did find some of the recurring themes to be engaging and certainly worth kicking around in my mind: life's fleeting mortality and how awareness of it grows with age; the differences and simlarities between reality and perception; and the author's talented ability to take even the most mundane of life's commonplace things and breathe life into it with vividness and meaning.
February 2, 2010
This novel begins with two high school girls, best friends, who couldn't be more different. One is beautiful and popular, but a bit of a wild child. The other is a conservative born-again Christian. The novel alternates between memories of the two girls' senior year in high school, and the present, in which one of the ladies is a 40 year old woman with a family. The climax of the story is a scene of extraordinary violence that the girls experience at the end of their senior year, and that one of them must live with for the rest of her life.
The plot was a bit confusing because of the quick alternations between time periods, and the fact that in many instances, the characters were not identified by name.
In addition to alternating between time periods, the novel also alternates between fantasy and reality. This could also be confusing, but I found it fascinating.
The plot and character development really drew me in to the novel, despite the confusion. By the time it ended, I felt that the book had taken on a dream-like quality, so the lack of clarity could be seen as similar to what you might experience in a dream.
The plot was a bit confusing because of the quick alternations between time periods, and the fact that in many instances, the characters were not identified by name.
In addition to alternating between time periods, the novel also alternates between fantasy and reality. This could also be confusing, but I found it fascinating.
The plot and character development really drew me in to the novel, despite the confusion. By the time it ended, I felt that the book had taken on a dream-like quality, so the lack of clarity could be seen as similar to what you might experience in a dream.
March 25, 2010
Like many of the other reviewers, I found this book annoying and perplexing, and yet still liked it. Part of the confusion to me, I think, was that I was listening to it in audiobook form, so I couldn't really control the speed. I liked the premise of the ending, but like most of the rest of the book, I REALLY could have done with less long, metaphorical description. The whole book felt to me like the author sketched out the skeleton of the plot, decided it was too short, and then asked a 10th grade English class to fill in the rest with flowery prose about spring. What is this trend toward thick description? I just finished a few Stephen King books (who admits he sometimes has "diarrhea of the pen") and now I'm wondering if I'm the only one who wants stuff to happen in books, instead of reading an entire chapter describing the protagonist's drive to work.
Still, the book kept me interested and reading, and I like the way it focused on the victims of the school shooting and their whole lives, rather than specifically on the shooter and the event.
Still, the book kept me interested and reading, and I like the way it focused on the victims of the school shooting and their whole lives, rather than specifically on the shooter and the event.
May 13, 2015
This novel was written in the wake of Columbine (2002 I believe) and it was a cross between the movies Stay and Elephant. The cover art and title seem to say it's a bit of an "Oprah's book club" genre book, but as is typical with Kasischke, it's way darker.
I wasn't thrilled at the ending/'May' bit, but everything up to that was excellent. I guessed the sort of "twist" really early on, but I still enjoyed the novel. I think Kasischke could write about anything and somehow make it terrifying and dig into a foxhole in your psyche. It's not my favourite Kasischke book, but it was still excellent.
I wasn't thrilled at the ending/'May' bit, but everything up to that was excellent. I guessed the sort of "twist" really early on, but I still enjoyed the novel. I think Kasischke could write about anything and somehow make it terrifying and dig into a foxhole in your psyche. It's not my favourite Kasischke book, but it was still excellent.
December 3, 2016
How is the Goodreads rating only 3 stars?! I found this book to be completely engaging and a wild ride from beginning to end.
I loved the style, the back and forth between past and present. I loved the lack of clarity or transparency, and how it forced me to draw my own conclusions until the very end. I loved how it felt like I was watching a movie (which I am about to do, this turned into a film!).
Probably my favorite part of this book was how it really made me feel slightly terrified and crazy, right alongside Diana. I think that's the sign of a gifted storyteller. I felt this from beginning to end.
I loved the style, the back and forth between past and present. I loved the lack of clarity or transparency, and how it forced me to draw my own conclusions until the very end. I loved how it felt like I was watching a movie (which I am about to do, this turned into a film!).
Probably my favorite part of this book was how it really made me feel slightly terrified and crazy, right alongside Diana. I think that's the sign of a gifted storyteller. I felt this from beginning to end.
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